Families of two Trinidadian men killed in a U.S. military strike off the Venezuelan coast have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the American government. The lawsuit, filed this week, alleges that the October strike was an extrajudicial killing with no legal justification.
The legal action was initiated on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Boston by relatives of Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41. Attorneys representing the families argue that the strike on October 14, 2025, violated both U.S. and international law, as the men were not combatants or involved in hostile activities. Joseph and Samaroo were fishermen and farm workers who frequently traveled between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela for employment. On the day of the incident, they were returning home to Trinidad when their boat was targeted by a U.S. missile strike, which the Trump administration had publicly touted as a successful operation against narcoterrorists.
President Donald Trump stated in October that six “narco-terrorists” were killed in the strike, linking the vessel to drug trafficking. However, the lawsuit contends that Joseph and Samaroo had no ties to illegal activities and were merely civilians going about their daily work. Legal experts point out that the U.S. has positioned its anti-drug operations in the region as a non-international armed conflict, but the lawsuit asserts that the laws of war do not apply here. Instead, it invokes the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute, which allow for claims of wrongful death and human rights violations.
The Pentagon has declined to comment on the pending litigation, maintaining its policy of not discussing ongoing cases. This silence contrasts with the administration’s earlier public celebrations of the strikes, which have resulted in over 120 deaths since September 2025. Broader context reveals that the U.S. military has conducted at least 36 similar strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, targeting vessels suspected of drug smuggling. Critics argue that these operations lack transparency and risk civilian casualties, as evidenced by this lawsuit.
The families are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, and the case could set a precedent for accountability in U.S. military actions abroad. Meanwhile, international human rights organizations are monitoring the proceedings, which may influence future policy on extraterritorial strikes. As the legal battle unfolds, it highlights ongoing tensions between national security imperatives and the protection of civilian lives in conflict zones. The outcome could impact U.S. relations with Caribbean nations and shape the legal frameworks governing military engagements.
